Recurrent
by ViralWolfGirl
Summary: Continues exactly where Terminal ends. Their genes may have changed forever, but their journey is far from complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So before you start reading I just wanted to say a few things about my other stories, and then about Terminal and this story. Okay, starting with my other stories: I will NOT be updating them. It's been way over a year, I've lost complete inspiration, there's been two new books, and honestly, I just wasn't as good of a writer. I'm sorry if you were fans of them (I know, at the moment almost all of them end in cliffhangers, and a lot of you have asked in reviews and such when I'll update), but I will NOT be updating them. I really am sorry. If you're interested in continuing one of them where I left off just ask, give a general description of what you want to happen, and I'll consider letting you continue it.**

**Now about Terminal. While I loved the book (it was amazing!) it had a good ending for a book, but there was so much more that needed to happen. Several things that were ongoing themes throughout the books either didn't wrap up well enough for me, or just didn't wrap up at all. (Like Tory and Jason. I know she ended up with Ben and he with Madison, I know that and totally ship it, but the whole Jason liking Tory thing that went on throughout all the books...I just felt like it was never fully resolved. Among other things). So yeah, that's part of what this story is about. And the ending. That ending. Ugh. (Also: BENJAVIC is in here. Of course. Obviously.)**

**This picks up right where Terminal ends. I've tried to keep with Brendan and Kathy Reichs' theme of the title relating to plot while simultaneously being a medical term. I hope it makes sense. One more thing, then I'll shut up and let you read (okay, two): One, this is currently rated T, but I might decide to change that later, depending on what happens in the story. I'll let you know if it changes. (okay three): Two, please review because I need constant motivation to write, and I know that sounds like I'm fishing for compliments, but I'm not. If I don't hear good reviews (or even constructive criticism, which is totally accepted) then I won't have inspiration to write. That's just the way I am :( (okay last one I promise): Three,**

**I do NOT own the Virals series or any of the characters in this story. Brendan and Kathy Reichs do.**

I stared at my eyes in shock.

Obviously, I've always seen myself with green eyes, and I had become accustomed to gold, as well.

But blue.

It was a calm, pale blue, unlike the deep swirling gold of our flares.

All at once, what this meant hit me and I jumped back from the mirror. Our flares may not be completely gone! It was different, though; this flare was serene and soothing, not the crazy maelstrom of before. I was in complete control.

Leaning back towards the mirror, I stared at the blue - calm was not the only difference.

_Stronger. More powerful._

Reaching out the boys in my head, I felt a pang when I couldn't connect with them.

Severed. Torn apart.

_Temporarily, if I can help it._

I tried to let it go, finding that it went as quietly and easily as it came; no more effort than a single thought.

After looking in the mirror for another few seconds, I scrambled into my room and grabbed my phone off my bed.

_Meeting. _Sewee_. NOW, _I sent to the boys.

After changing out of my pajamas, grabbing my bag, and flying down two sets of stairs, I grabbed a granola bar before sprinting out the door and down to the dock to wait. As I tossed my bag into the bottom of Ben's boat, a door opened and slammed behind me. Turning around, I saw Ben, bag slung over his shoulder and his hands in pockets.

I suddenly remembered that Ben and I were, like… dating. That, for the first time, I should greet him as his girlfriend instead of just friends..

_Oh crap. How do I do this__?! _

_Relax. You're just making it awkward._

_Just do it how you always do! That's what he likes about you anyway!_

Ben reached the dock, and glanced up at me. He smiled, and tossed his bag next to mine in his boat.

"Hey," I said, grinning back at him, new flare suddenly forgotten.

"Hi," Ben responded. He took my hand, twining his fingers with mine. He pulled me close, his other hand on my shoulder. I leaned against him and he dropped a kiss on my forehead. "What did you want to meet us about? Is it" - he lifted his head and glanced around, making sure no one was within hearing distance, even though we were clearly the only ones and the sound of the waves would have drowned us out anyway - "about what happened the other day? Is everything okay?" he asked.

Dropping his hand, I wrapped both arms around him. "Better than okay. Let's wait for Hi and Shelton to get here then I'll explain."

Ben looked as if he wanted to ask questions again, but nodded. He pulled away and hopped into the captain's seat of _Sewee._ "Well, they better hurry up. I'm going to drop you guys off at the Charleston Marina, then go up to Wando and dock there since I'm staying at Mom's tonight. I don't want to be late, 'cause it's a ten-minute walk from there to school." Ben looked back at the townhouses and glared, as if his glare could make Hi and Shelton move faster.

"Relax," I told him. "They know I'll be pissed if they don't hurry, and they don't want to deal with that."

"Yeah," he said, smirking. "No one wants to deal with a pissed off Tory Brennan. Not even the government."

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, come on," he said, still smiling. "You saw their faces. They were terrified of you. You're terrifying, Victoria Grace Brennan."

"Oh, shut up. They were the ones with guns plus they're agents for a top secret government organization. They didn't get there by being scared."

"'Yeah, and _you _were the one with never-before-seen superhuman powers. They were terrified. I win," he said. He most definitely did not win, but I didn't get to answer before Hi jumped into the boat.

"Win what?" Hi asked, glancing between us. "Having a fight already? It hasn't even been twenty-four hours."

"Shut it, Hi," I snapped. "Where's Shelton? I must have texted you guys twenty minutes ago, and I know he gets up earliest."

"Hey, how am I supposed to know?" He complained as he grabbed a life vest.

Glancing up, I saw Shelton closing his door behind him. He turn and quickly walked down to the dock.

"Finally," Ben said, starting up the boat as Shelton untied the lines.

As soon as we pulled away from the dock, Hi and Shelton looked at me.

"Well?" Hi demanded. "Why did you want us to meet? Everything's over, Tory."

"Not necessarily," I said, huge smile on my face. "You see, this morning I was mourning the loss of our flares. And I was kinda thinking, you know, that I don't _want _to change. And then something happened."

Ben had stopped the boat so we were drifting, Morris barely visible in the distance. I had all their attention now. They listened intently, hopeful expressions on their faces.

"Well what happened?!" Shelton asked. "Do we still have our flares? How is that possible since we didn't have them yesterday?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean yes and no? It's one or the other."

"No, it's not. Here, let me show you. All of you try, too."

I closed my eyes and called on my wolf DNA. Just like a half hour ago when this flare happened the first time, something clicked in my head, and warmth surged through me.

My senses (something that, since I had been shocked, I hadn't really paid attention to before) sharpened. Each one became a dagger, piercing my surroundings with a razor-sharp edge. I could smell the crisp morning air with startling clarity, even more so than with the previous flares. The aroma of my lunch drifted to my nose through a plastic bag, a paper bag, and the thick PVC of my backpack. Even stronger, the smell of my cucumber melon shampoo drifted to my nose. I almost vomited right over the side of the boat; all it smelled like was a bunch of synthetic chemicals. I could also still smell the emotions of those around me, even more strongly now. The guys were feeling a whole mixture of hope, confusion, and dread, all at once. My brain sifted through each scent around me, storing and identifying them to call on at any given moment in the future.

My sense of smell was the best out of the rest of us before, but now it was even stronger. And, I imagine, my hearing now rivaled Shelton's before - I could hear another boat far in the distance, so far it had to be behind the horizon because I couldn't even see it. I could hear all of our heartbeats, and even the steady pumping of blood through the artery in my neck, and I could hear the sound of individual droplets of water hitting the side of _Sewee_ as we rocked back and forth on the ocean. I could even faintly hear the sound of fish, several feet through the bottom of the boat and into the ocean, pulling water into their gills as they swam beneath us.

My vision was vastly improved over even the last flares. I could pick out my specific townhouse back on Morris, could see the dock in incredible detail; where just a few seconds before the entire island was barely a speck. On the end of the island I could see the Morris Lighthouse towering high above the water; could make out the biggest words on the sign at the entrance - **Danger. No trespassing. **\- _holy crap, that's over half a mile away._ Looking the other direction, I could now see the Charleston Marina in disorienting detail, could see fisherman getting ready with their nets, could see others pulling in loads of thousands of fish.

The taste of my hastily eaten granola bar lingered in my mouth now when just a little bit ago I couldn't taste it at all. My mint toothpaste was still strong, and the chemical smell combined with the scent of my shampoo, nearly made me dizzy. I could even faintly taste vestiges of last night's steak. My sense of touch was stronger than before as well; I could feel the wind pelting me with microscopic droplets of water. Every brush of my clothing against my skin, every particle on the inside of my shoes, and every strand of my hair that blew into my face was incredibly strong, so intense that it had probably never been felt by any person who'd ever lived before.

My mind, faster with the flare, processed all this information in seconds, though it felt like minutes. I'd read somewhere that when time feels like it's slowing down it's likely because you're processing a lot of information at once, and that was exactly what was happening here. Only seconds had passed since I'd first flared. The guys had barely moved; they were staring at me in awe. None of them had flared. As they looked at me, Hi and Shelton took a step back in shock, while Ben took a step closer, making eye contact. He lifted his hand to my chin and tilted my head up towards his, looking directly at me.

"Your eyes are blue," he whispered. "They're beautiful."

"But wait," Hi said. "Are you like actually flaring? With crazy senses and everything?"

I nodded. "Try it… it's incredible. Stronger than the other flares." I was pumped on adrenaline. It felt unreal, the precision with which I could pin down my surroundings.

The guys each tried. Shelton opened his eyes a few seconds later, and staggered back onto a seat. "Whoa."

I looked. His eyes were blue, greatly contrasting with his dark skin. They were wide as he took everything in. "Wow," he breathed quietly. He looked up at me. "It really is a lot stronger. And way easier to control."

"Hey! Why can't I do it?" Hi whined. "I want to do it too!" He glared at Shelton and I. "How'd you do that?"

"Same way we always have."

"Damn it!" Ben said. "I can't do it either." He was still standing in front of me; hand still on my chin. I stepped back, and he dropped his hand.

"It's the same as it's always been, but a lot easier. It probably hasn't returned yet - I mean, none of us could do it yesterday. I'm sure you'll both be able to flare again soon," I reassured, looking back and forth between Hi and Ben.

I could tell that Ben was pissed, and Hi just looked like a child who was told he couldn't play tag with the rest of the kids, but I was confident they'd be able to flare soon.

"What does it feel like? You said it was stronger and easier to control than the other flares," Ben asked, making eye contact with me again.

"It's… amazing, but calming at the same time," Shelton said.

"It is. I feel like I could swim the rest of the way across the rest of the harbor, then participate in a decathlon and then the Tour de France then climb Mount Everest without even breaking a sweat."

"I do feel kind of nauseous, though," Shelton admitted. "It's so much stronger… all I can smell and taste are chemicals."

"Me too, but it went away. Just wait a minute, I guess."

"Can you still do the creepy mind connect thing?" Hi asked. He still had that injured-puppy look on his face. I felt kind of bad, but I knew he would be able to do it later.

"I don't know. But I don't want to try until it's all of us, either. It just doesn't feel right to do it without you."

And that was true. With the old flares, I could feel the others wherever they were, but now I could only feel Shelton. Not that that was bad, but not feeling Ben and Hi just left a gaping hole in my mind where it usually connected to theirs.

A sudden shrill, piercing sound made me wince and cover my ears. Shelton did the same. Ben looked at us and with wide eyes, but Hi didn't notice because he was rifling through his bag. He pulled out his phone just as Ben said snapped at him, "Turn that off! It's bothering them."

Hi's head snapped up to glance at us, and then he quickly silenced the alarm on his phone. As soon as it went off, I relaxed, and my flare shut down without me even trying. I started to slump over, but Ben caught me and gently pushed me into the captain's seat, kneeling down and looking at me with concern. "Are you okay? What happened?" He asked it softly, placing his hands on my shoulders. I reached up and grabbed one of them. I almost whimpered with the quick change from the high sound to Ben's gentle voice. It took me a few seconds to readjust myself to normal senses before I could answer.

"The sound - it was so loud."

"Sorry! I didn't even have it all the way up. Are the new flares really that sensitive?"

He and Ben looked at me, waiting for my answer. "Yes," Shelton said from behind them. "They're really that sensitive."

"Everything's ramped up even more than our old flares, and your brain is trying to process so much that it feels like everything slows down," I added to what Shelton said. "It's great, but at the same time, worse… I could smell the individual chemicals in my shampoo and taste them in my toothpaste. And loud, sudden sounds obviously bother us, too."

"I hate to do this, guys, but that alarm was telling us that we need to go. Like now," Hi said.

"Just a minute," Ben said. "How can you even do this? We took the cure, same as the others did. Does this mean they'll get their flares back too?"

The thought hadn't occurred to me yet, but I was sure of the answer. "No. I think that, since Chance had the cure engineered from _their _strain of virus, it should work perfectly for them. With us it could have left some… remnants, since it wasn't exactly the same."

"I don't understand," Shelton said. "It was still the same virus, though. Shouldn't it have erased everything?"

"Maybe not," Hi said, getting it. "Think of it this way: every year, a bunch of scientists get together and predict which strains of the flu are going to be strongest that winter. A vaccine is then developed from those predictions and administered. Sometimes, though, the strains they predict aren't the ones that become widespread. So basically, you have strains that aren't covered under the shot that you can still get."

I nodded. "Exactly like that. There's no chance they still have their flares." I felt Ben and Shelton relax, and I agreed. It wasn't a bad thing they wouldn't get their flares back. They hadn't handled them well.

Moving out of the captain's seat, I let Ben sit back down. We were all quiet, thinking about what this meant. There was no talking as he went the rest of the way across the harbor to the Marina. When we arrived, Shelton asked, "Should we go see Chance? He said he wanted to watch for side effects, anyway."

I thought about it for a second, then said, "No, I think it's best to keep this to ourselves for the time being, while we figure it out."

_That's not the reason you don't want to see him._

Hi and Shelton hopped off and started walking along the dock. I started to go, but Ben caught my hand and pulled me back. "That's not why you don't want to go," he said.

"Yes it is." _Damn it, he knows me too well._

"No, it is not. You don't want to hurt him because you just broke his heart literally yesterday."

"Fine," I said, looking directly at him. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He shook his head, surprising me. "No. I know you don't like hurting people if you don't have to." Ben looked at the time on his phone and cursed. He gave me a quick hug, which I returned. "Go, I'm already late." He grabbed my bag and handed it to me, then gave me a playful shove towards the side of the boat the dock was on.

I suddenly thought of something. "You know what the best thing about these new flares are?"

"What?"

"As long as we aren't around anyone we know, we can do it in public. It's not like the other ones, where the eye color was unnatural."

After looking at me for a second, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. My heart nearly leaped out off my chest, and I leaned back against him. He pulled his mouth away from mine and wrapped his arm around my waist. "You're absolutely right," he said directly in my ear. "But you should _really _go now, or else we're both going to be late."

"Okay, okay," I said, laughing. I hopped out of the boat and called, "See you later!" before sprinting to catch up with Hi and Shelton.

**Okay so there it is. Continue or not, let me know. Like I said, I appreciate constructive criticism, but please don't just say "I hate this it sucks" because honestly that just shows that you have the problem. Okay I'm leaving before I start ranting again, sorry. Thanks for reading! And I feel good about this one, like I'll actually finish it. I'm not sure how long the chapters are going to be but I am sure that if I keep typing here I'll never stop so bye and thanks again for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey, do you want to go do something after your soccer practice today? _Ben's text said. Oh god. I mean I knew I was his girlfriend and that we'd be doing things like this, and that it was just hanging out which we'd done plenty of in the past, but still. I'd never been on an actual date before and the idea of calling it that terrified me.

I hesitated for a second before typing a response and hitting send. _Going to Ella's after to work on a lab. Pick me up there at 6? _I hoped he didn't mind, and as I waited for a response, I wondered where we would go.

Ella and I had completely made up after yesterday, but I hadn't yet told her about the new flares… I was going to wait a bit on that one. It was hard knowing that she was the one who'd tried to turn us in to the government to be experimented on - I shivered, thinking of the possibilities - but I understood that she'd already had reason to hate me and had been manipulated into embracing that hate. Honestly, it surprised me that she hadn't sooner.

Remembering my time in that room with the doctor, I flinched, and was happily distracted when my phone buzzed an incoming text.

_See you then :)_

_Where are we going?_

_It's a surprise._

_I hate surprises. _I did. Not knowing what would happen scared me. But hey, it was Ben, and I knew that he wouldn't take me somewhere crazy. I hoped.

_I know. ;) _

Ugh. Whatever, at least we were going to get to hang out. We barely got any time yesterday or this morning before Hi and Shelton showed up. Not that I minded, but…

"Paugh around the corner!" Ella warned and I quickly shoved my phone in my bag and turned to my locker. If he'd seen me, I would have been in huge trouble - especially since Paugh was already out for me.

He glanced at me and narrowed his eyes as I smiled innocently at him - _don't come over here, don't come over here! - _but Mr. Terenzoni caught his attention, so Ella and I ducked out of sight around the corner, trying to keep our giggles in. "Thanks," I said. "I would've been in huge trouble since he already hates me."

"You could say it was important. Tell him that you were accepting the Nobel Prize," Ella suggested.

"Sure, Ella. I'll do that. I don't have a death wish or anything." I couldn't stop smiling about my date with Ben later, and Ella noticed. She asked me why I was smiling so much.

"I was texting Ben," I admitted. "He's picking me up at your house at six and we're going out."

"Oh! Where are you going? Dinner? Movies? The beach?"

"Don't know. He wouldn't tell me; apparently it's a surprise."

Her phone went off, and Ella laughed as she reached for her it in her pocket and opened the text. She read it, then glanced at me, then quickly shoved it back into her pocket. "Who was that?" I asked.

"No one," she said. "Hey, look, there's Jason and Madison. We should probably go talk to them, after I completely screwed up your friendship with him."

The quick subject change didn't go over my head, but I decided to drop it for now. "What should we tell them? They're not going to just accept it without questions. And they were both tracked down and questioned by those agents, so they're going to have a lot of questions."

Ella considered for a moment, then said, "We'll tell them that we had a fight and I told them that you were uncomfortable with their relationship to piss you off. And if they ask about the agents, we'll tell them that we think they were college sports scouts, asking about our superior athletic skills," she said, sarcasm coating her words.

"We're sophomores. And that's just creepy, too. Totally unrealistic."

She looked directly at me and said, "Well, what else are they going to believe? That they were secret government agents poking around to see if anyone knew anything about your secret superpowers?"

I hated to admit it, but she was right. Jason would buy it immediately. It might be harder to convince Madison since she'd actually see my golden eyes, but in the end, she'd eventually have to buy it as well. Hopefully.

"Maddy, Jason, wait up!" Ella called down the hallway. They turned and the two of them exchanged a confused glance before making their way over to us. "Yeah?"

Ella looked at me, then turned to them. "I just wanted to say -" she paused for dramatic effect "- that I… I lied when I said your relationship made Tory uncomfortable. We'd had a fight and I told you that to piss her off because I know you're friends. I'm sorry." Ella looped her arm through mine and put on her most convincing smile.

I nodded while I added, "I'm sorry too, for not telling you sooner and letting this go on. It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all, really; I'm happy for you. Both of you," I specified, looking at Madison.

The bell rang, so they had to quickly accept my apology before going off to last period. Jason was a bit confused (it was _so _unlike Ella to make up a lie like that, even if she was mad) but accepted it. Madison? I wasn't even really sure what she felt about it.

We'd gone straight to Ella's after practice, and even though we had a ton of work left to do, at five o'clock she demanded that we stop and get ready for my date with Ben.

"I don't understand why I have to do this," I said as Ella basically attacked my face with make-up. "It's just Ben."

"It's _just _your first real date, too."

I huffed, but continued to allow her to apply eyeliner. Whatever. I drew the line when she tried to curl my hair though; it would just uncurl within five minutes anyway, especially in this heat.

"Okay, okay," she said, finally giving up. "He'll be here any minute anyway." We both walked out onto her balcony. Ella's room was on the short side of the house, the side that faced the road. It was three stories up, and from the balcony you could see the gardens on the sides of the long, winding driveway that led up to the house.

The ornate, cared-for grounds revealed wealth. "What was it like, growing up and having everything you wanted?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

Ella looked at me strangely, then shrugged before leaning on the railing and looking out over the grounds. "Sometimes it was really great. I could have whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. But other times, it was horrible. I would see these stories on the news, you know? About these people in other places who didn't even have clean water, let alone more water, food, and clothing than one person needs. Most people in my position just look over that, but I was never able to," she finished. She hadn't looked away from the driveway once while speaking.

"I know," I said. "That's why I can tolerate you. You care about helping people, not just looking good to other people."

"Only tolerate?" She teased, and I laughed quietly.

Silence descended upon us once more.

"Why'd you ask?"

I leaned against the railing and looked down the road for Ben's car before I responded. I sighed. "My mom was sixteen when she had me. She dropped out of high school to take care of me. She got her GED when I was little, but never went to college. We never had much money at all, and we moved around a lot." I winced. "We didn't always end up in the best neighborhoods, either. It wasn't that bad though, because we had each other. It got better as I got older, but when I was really little…" I let my voice trail off as Ben's car came around the corner and pulled up in front of the gate. All the nerves I'd been feeling a few minutes ago came back even stronger. I felt a little unsettled too, after talking about my mother.

Ella didn't press farther; instead, she called down to the gate to tell them to open it. We began to walk down her stairs, and walked out the door as Ben reached the top of the driveway. It felt even hotter than before, and I was suddenly glad that Ella had convinced me to wear a skirt.

Ben got out and smiled when he saw me. He leaned over, grabbed my bag off of my shoulder, then he tossed it into the backseat of his car. I said goodbye to Ella and hopped in the front seat. Turning to Ben, I asked, "Where are we going?"

"Still a surprise. It's not anything really big though," he said. "You'll like it."

He grimaced as he put the car in reverse. "At least, I hope you'll like it."

He turned the AC on as high as it would go. I was glad, because I was sweating like crazy. I couldn't tell if it was from the stifling Charleston heat or nerves. Probably both. "I'm sure I will." _I hope I do, too._

Twenty minutes later, we parked at the Charleston Marina. _Sewee _was docked in the distance. "We're going out on the ocean?" I asked, confused. We got out and started walking towards _Sewee._

"Sort of," he said. I could tell he was glancing out of the corner of his eye, trying not to be seen, while gauging my reactions. I could see this because I, of course, was also glancing out of the corner of my eye at him. Tension coated the air between us, and I tried to force myself to relax, because this was _Ben,_ my boyfriend, but we both knew that wouldn't last much longer if this didn't go well.

Reaching his boat, we untied the ropes and jumped in. "Still won't tell me where we're going?"

"You're too impatient."

"I'd prefer persistent and curious."

We smiled at each other and some of the tension eased as he started across the harbor. We were one of the only boats going out; most were coming in. To my surprise, he started heading north, away from Morris Island.

Ben pushed the boat to top speed, so the air felt almost cool and my hair flew out behind me. I was really glad now that I'd vetoed Ella curling my hair; if the heat didn't undo it this would have. At first, I wasn't sure where we were going but as we came upon a landmass I recognized it as the Isle of Palms. I'd only been past here a few times, but saw some familiar landmarks, as well as what gave the island its name - the large amount of palm trees lining the entire beach. "Isle of Palms?"

Ben cut the motor and we drifted the rest of the way to the beach, where we jumped out and secured the boat with a rope tied to a fallen tree. "Come on, there's a spot over there…" He pointed to a cluster of rocks at the edge between the beach and a swampy area. He took my hand as we started walking towards them.

Reaching the rock cluster, Ben climbed up to the top one, sat facing the ocean, then reached down to grab my hand and pull me up. He'd climbed effortlessly, but then again, he had obviously done so before. Also, it was a lot harder to manage in a skirt.

When I reached the top, I sat next to him. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his side. He was a lot less shy about these small gestures now that we were together. He still seemed to be a little uncertain, as if he were afraid I'd change my mind, but he seemed more confident to open up a little. It was unquestionable that things between us were a lot less awkward than they'd been in the past few weeks. Taking his hand, I leaned against his shoulder.

Looking out towards the ocean, I gasped. With the rolling waves crashing into the beach in low tide, the palms swaying in the light breeze, and the sand gently sloping to meet the water, the entire scene was beautiful. The sun hung just over the horizon, and I could see that in just a few minutes there would be a breathtaking sunset, reflected in the water. There was a cruise ship far out in the distance, and I could imagine people leaning on the railings, looking in towards the land and others looking out into the sea.

"So...what do you think?" Ben asked, and in his voice I could hear that he was desperately searching for my approval. "I found it a few weeks ago while fishing, and I thought-"

"It's perfect."

"I'm glad."

We sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes as the sun dipped below the horizon and it started getting dark out. The temperature _finally _started to fall as the breeze began to pick up along the beach.

When the breeze turned into gusts of wind, we hurried back to _Sewee_. There was supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight and we couldn't be caught in the middle of the ocean when it hit. While we were walking, I asked, "So… have you tried flaring again?" I untied the rope from the tree while he climbed up into the boat, sitting in the captain's seat. He reached down to pull me up.

"Yeah. Before. I felt like I almost could, but at the last second it went away. Hi tried it earlier though, and he could."

Ben scowled, and I knew that it bothered him being the last one to flare again, especially with the rest of us going on about how great it was. "He couldn't this morning, Ben. You'll be able to flare by tomorrow."

A little voice popped into my head and insisted that he might not, but I shoved it away.

"You don't know that," he said.

"I do."

He looked away, and started up the engine. "Come on. We need to get back before that storm hits."

**Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long getting this updated, but I've been really busy. I won't be busy for a few weeks so I'll probably update once or twice more, but towards the end of June I'll have finals to worry about and won't be able to. After that though I'll have tons of time to work on this! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know these two have been somewhat slow, but now I have all the side plots set up, so it'll really get going next chapter. Thanks for reading, and if you liked it please leave a review! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Glad you're enjoying the story so far. Really quick, I just want to say thank you for all the positive reviews and feedback; I really appreciate it. But I just want to say one thing quickly before the chapter. You should read this; it's important - it'll help you understand why I'm going to write some things in the future of this story. **

**So basically, **_**Virals **_**is my favorite series ever (why wouldn't it be) but there is one thing I've always had a problem with in the series - and that's how little everything that happens affects Tory. Yes, she's **_**incredibly **_**strong, but no one can go through what she has - her mother's death, being shot at, being kidnapped **_**twice**_**, watching people die, and being lied to by the person she trusts most, and, you know, having super powers that need to be kept hidden or else - and walk out of it the same. So that's basically the one thing that's always bothered me about the books. And also, I feel like we don't really know much about what her life was like before she moved to Morris Island. I don't know, maybe you disagree, but it's what I think. I just wanted you guys to understand this so you understand why I'm writing some of the things I'm going to (don't worry I'm not going to make her crazy or anything I promise, just make her have some issues to work through). Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

We all gave off a cheer as Ben opened bright blue eyes.

He'd tried flaring again this morning, and much to his dismay, hadn't been able to. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to. The three of us had reassured him that wasn't the case, but he'd left silently without even a goodbye, so I knew he was taking it harder than he was showing.

It was late, and we were all sitting down on the dock. I'd had a soccer game after school, so Ben had come to watch and driven me home since he was staying at his father's house tonight. Hi and Shelton had met us down on the dock; apparently they'd been practicing and experimenting with the new flares.

I forced my mind back to the present and smiled at Ben as he looked around him with awe.

"I told you it was amazing," I said.

"It is."

We sat there for a few more minutes while he looked around. Finally he suggested, "We should all flare and see if we can connect minds."

"I wouldn't know if I should be happy or disappointed if we can't," Shelton said.

"Only one way to find out."

I closed my eyes and reached for my flare. It came easier than ever before. I inhaled deeply, taking in the smells of the night. Across the harbor, I could see the lights almost clearly. The sound of my heartbeat rushed through my ears, and next to me, I could hear the guys' with perfect clarity. I reached over and grabbed Ben's hand, and blushed when both our hearts stuttered when our fingers curled around each other's. Hi snickered, and we both shot him a glare.

Closing my eyes, I reached inward, searching for the threads that tethered the four of us. I found them, and gasped as I reached out to grab them. They were a brilliant, dancing gold, and if I were actually looking at them they'd be as bright and blinding as the sun.

I squeezed Ben's hand as I mentally reached out to grab the threads. I pulled them close, opened my mind to theirs and-

_-I'm hiding in the closet in my room. My parents are yelling. I don't like when they yell at each other. I listen as their argument escalates, and I listen when my mom says, "I'm leaving!" Tears fall down my cheeks as the door slams and a car speeds out the driveway, and they keep falling when Dad comes into my room, picks me up and holds me as we both cry-_

_-I'm looking down at a woman. I don't know her. She's in a wooden box, and isn't moving. It's scary. She looks like Mom, and Mom says she was her mom, which makes her kind of like my mom, so I try talking to her but she doesn't answer. Everyone around me whispers, but their words are strange, like Mom's are on the phone sometimes, and sound nothing like mine. I can't understand them. Dad said we were going to a far away place, and it would be very different, and we went on a big plane to get here, but I don't like it. I want to go home-_

_-I'm waiting for Mom to come home with the pizza. They must have lots of orders to fill; she's been gone too long. Sirens blare in the distance, unusual in such a small town, but I dismiss it and turn my attention back to my phone. TV's on a commercial break, so I'm on Twitter scrolling through my feed when the doorbell rings. I'm a little surprised; it's late and we don't really know our neighbors, but I get up and answer the door. It's a police officer, and my heart starts to beat a little bit faster. She asks if I'm Colleen Brennan's daughter, and asks if my father's home and asks to come in when I tell her I don't have a father. I let her in, my heart now pounding, and ask her what's happening, what's going on, is my mom okay. And when she tells me she's dead, car accident, dead on arrival, didn't see it coming, drunk driver, my vision narrows, I can't breathe, can't speak, can't think, can't think anything other than I'm alone; she's dead and I'm all alone-_

_-I sit next to my mom in the waiting room. We're waiting for my dad to get test results; what kind of results, I'm not sure. But they said that he was very sick, and if he didn't get medicine, he would have to leave forever. I cried and said I don't want him to leave forever. My mom made him stop smoking because the sickness was in his lungs, and he went to get medicine at the hospital a lot. A man walks into the waiting room, the doctor, and tells my mom that everything is negative, that there's no sign of cancer, and then Dad is here and he's hugging me and mom and she's hugging him and they're crying and I ask if this means he's staying, he's not leaving forever, and he laughs and says that yes, yes he's staying, and then I'm crying too-_

-I suddenly took a deep breath as my mind was flung back to the present, and opened my eyes to realize my flare was gone. I was sprawled on the dock, with the guys in pretty much the same position.

My mind whirled trying to figure out what the hell, exactly, just happened. All I know is that I opened up my mind to the others, and what can only be described as a tidal wave flung me around from mind to mind.

The others sat up too, and looked around as if they were surprised to find themselves on this dock.

I can only guess that was some sort of… memory exchange. I sorted through them, determining which came from who- the first had to be Ben's, and how his parents split up, the second was Shelton's; he'd told us the story of the first time he went to Japan, and the last had to be Hi's since I remember him mentioning his father had cancer when he was younger.

Looking out into the harbor, I hoped that they didn't see them; that it was only me. That night, the one Mom died… it's still too hard for me to think about most of the time. It'd been weeks since I thought about her, and then three times in the past week - when Kit and Whitney announced their engagement, talking with Ella yesterday, and now.

I heard movement behind me as the guys pulled themselves together. I couldn't look at them now; if I did I'd cry.

"Tory," Ben said, softly. I ignored him, staring out across the harbor, forcing away the wetness that threatened to spill over from the corners of my eyes. _No. I will not cry here._

"Tory. Look at me." Shelton and Hi were muttering to each other under their breath.

I took a deep breath, and turned to look at him. "I'm fine," I forced out. "Really."

Ben gave me the I-don't-believe-you look, but let it drop.

"So..." Shelton said, "What are we even supposed to do now?"

"First, we have to figure out what happened," I said.

"You did your freaky mind stuff. We were hit by a tsunami. Saw inside each other's heads," Hi muttered. "Because you guys _really _needed to be in my head. Again."

"Not like I could help it," I snapped. "I had as little control over that as you did."

"You're the one who started it!" Shelton said.

"Whoa! Stop. We are _not _going to start pointing fingers and accusing each other," Ben snapped. "And-" he glanced at me quickly "-we aren't going to talk about what each of us saw yet."

Hi opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "We aren't going to try to connect minds again. I promise."

Ben quickly added,"It'd be better to focus on the abilities of this new flare that don't relate to connecting minds."

I was going to respond, but my phone buzzed a new text. A quick glance told me it was time for dinner, and Kit wanted me home. "I have to go. Dinner."

Saying goodbye, I quickly hopped up and jogged toward my townhouse. All I wanted was to eat and then fall into bed.

**Okay, chapter done. Sorry it's kind of short. Not my best I know but I really wanted to get this up for you guys because it's been so long. Sorry this took so long to happen; I've actually been working on it for haven't had the motivation. Anyway, I just started my senior year, so I'm going to be pretty busy. Oh! One more thing. I'm thinking about maybe doing another Virals crossover. I have an idea with what, but I'm not gonna say yet, but I think (hope?) that you'll like it. I'll announce it with the next chapter if I decide to do it and haven't posted the story yet.**


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